When it comes to the development of virtual reality (VR) videogames Unity is one of the most popular engines, so if you want to get into the software side of the industry it’s a good program to know. To help in that endeavour it runs Unity Centre of Excellence Academy’s around the world, and there’s a new one opening in Salford, UK. Its training programme will be run by Simon Benson who should know a thing or two about VR, he was previously director of Sony’s Immersive Technology Group which created the PlayStation VR.
Benson is now director of immersive technology at HOST, the innovation hub located at MediaCityUK where the Unity Centre of Excellence programme will be based. HOST’s partnership with Unity will see the organisation launch a 12-week remote learning course in June, teaching students all they need in technical and soft skills to become a Unity Certified Professional Programmer.
The programme modules will feature real-life industry projects covering sectors including manufacturing, health, architectural engineering, and creative media. Students will also be supported via personal mentoring, employability workshops and more. Upon successful completion, the academy even guarantees a job interview.
“With Unity’s UK Centre of Excellence as an integral component of HOST’s capabilities, we are ideally placed to lead the immersive and interactive revolution that is already influencing many industries such as video gaming, architecture, healthcare and manufacturing,” said Benson in a statement. “Establishing Unity’s UK Centre of Excellence at HOST brings a fantastic blend of high demand skills generation, cutting edge innovation and unparalleled business support, ensuring that MediaCityUK is the only place to be if you’re in the real-time development space.”
“The Unity Centre of Excellence at HOST will define a new premium standard of skills generation in Unity,” Nicole Zingg, Global Head of Channel Partnerships, at Unity adds. “With the pace of innovation across industries, the academy is built to support the next generation of skills needed both for the roles of today and tomorrow.”
HOST’s Unity Centre of Excellence programme starts on the 21st June 2021 and spaces are limited, the fee is £5,500 GBP (£458 per month interest-free). Over the three months, the course will require around seven hours of study each day. If you want to learn more the academy is hosting a free webinar on Monday 7th June featuring a panel of industry experts.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of the latest Unity news, reporting back with further updates.